A Gurkha soldier with a kukri is really a handful!

PSM · 02-02-2011, 18:18

From the article:

Quote:

The band of about 40 robbers, some of whom were travelling as passengers, stopped the train in the Chittaranjan jungles in West Bengal around midnight. Shrestha-- who had boarded the train at Ranchi in Jharkhand, the place of his posting--was in seat no. 47 in coach AC3.

“They started snatching jewelry, cell phones, cash, laptops and other belongings from the passengers,” Shrestha recalled. The soldier had somehow remained a silent spectator amidst the melee, but not for long. He had had enough when the robbers stripped an 18-year-old girl sitting next to him and tried to rape her right in front of her parents. He then took out his khukuri and took on the robbers.

“The girl cried for help, saying ´You are a soldier, please save a sister´,” Shrestha recalled. “I prevented her from being raped, thinking of her as my own sister,” he added. He took one of the robbers under control and then started to attack the others. He said the rest of the robbers fled after he killed three of them with his khukuri and injured eight others.

(…)

“I am proud to be able to prove that a Gorkha soldier with a khukuri is really a handful. I would have been a meek spectator had I not carried that khukuri,” he said.

http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/in...&news_id=27100

I reckon TS’s sig line applied here as well: "Speed, Surprise & Violence of Action"

Pat

greenberetTFS · 02-02-2011, 18:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by PSM

I reckon TS’s sig line applied here as well: "Speed, Surprise & Violence of Action"

Pat

I agree,he is one bad 'effering,not to be messed with for sure!..........

That also goes for "either one "!................

Big Teddy

GratefulCitizen · 02-02-2011, 20:11

Found this part interesting:

Quote:

He still finds it hard to believe that he took on 40 armed robbers alone. “They may have feared that more of my army friends were traveling with me and fled after fighting me for around 20 minutes,” he explained.

40 to 1, still fighting after 20 minutes of melee combat, and the "1" is winning.
Yup, they might have feared that there were 2 of them.

dr. mabuse · 02-02-2011, 21:42

*

Snaquebite · 02-02-2011, 21:50

Had 50 working for me when I was i n Iraq with Edinburg Risk. Greatest guys you could meet. Extremely loyal. Everyone had at least 13 yrs in regiment. I loved these guys. But you never wanted to cross them they did not take crap from anyone. Will try and find a few pics. They were my guard force when the ISF compound was being built. Some chickens and a goat a month they were happy. Had to watch out for the drinkers though. I'd go anywhere with these guys.

craigepo · 02-02-2011, 22:13

Is anyone familiar with the story/rumor about the gurk's in the falklands?

Dusty · 02-03-2011, 00:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snaquebite

Had 50 working for me when I was i n Iraq with Edinburg Risk. Greatest guys you could meet. Extremely loyal. Everyone had at least 13 yrs in regiment. I loved these guys. But you never wanted to cross them they did not take crap from anyone. Will try and find a few pics. They were my guard force when the ISF compound was being built. Some chickens and a goat a month they were happy. Had to watch out for the drinkers though. I'd go anywhere with these guys.

I read everything I can get my hands on about those guys. I hope you find the pics, and welcome any and all anecdotes you may have.

02-03-2011, 03:14

I worked with several British Royal Marines, who had at the time, Gurkha soldiers assigned to their teams during the Falkland Islands War.

As they told the story, at one point in the battle, the Brits were running low on ammo, the Gurkhas gave their ammo to their British brothers and fixed bayonets without second thoughts.

mark46th · 02-03-2011, 09:28

1 Ghurka against 40 robbers? Sounds like an ambush to me...

Dusty · 02-03-2011, 09:32

"Gurkha" means "Chuck Norris" in Nepalese.

tonyz · 02-03-2011, 09:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dusty

"Gurkha" means "Chuck Norris" in Nepalese.

Former Chief of staff of the Indian Army - Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw once famously said about Gurkhas:

" if a man says he is not afraid of dying, he is either lying or he is a Gurkha"

Sohei · 02-03-2011, 09:46

I worked with several teams of them in the late 80’s. Like what was posted earlier, they were loyal. The guys that were assigned to my team were extremely loyal and very aggressive when it came to training. The thing I first noted about them was their eagerness to train and learn. They all had over ten years of active duty, but you would have sworn that they were brand new to the service. I would work with them anytime.

I can’t remember the type of rifles they had at the time, but to be blunt, they weren't the best. They were extremely small in length and would routinely jam. After watching us train and fire ours all day, they wanted to play with our toys. So, we took an entire day off from training and just let them shoot everything we had. They were like kids in a candy store. I can’t even imagine the ammo we shot that day. It was fun for all. Great group of guys.

MtnGoat · 02-03-2011, 12:06

Gurkha's are the Shiznit!!

I have had the pleasure of working with them before while working with some UK brothers. They basically use them are Range Battalions are used in OIF and OEF. Some ferocious fighters and loyal soldiers. Loved having them around where pulling security or BSing around.

akv · 02-03-2011, 12:11

Dusty,

FWIW the best Gurkha books I read were by John Masters, Bugles and a Tiger, and The Road Past Mandalay.

The former is about fighting in Afghanistan and the latter in Burma, by a British officer in a Gurkha regiment. There are all sorts of stories about Gurkhas, a few of my favorites...

A young British officer assigned to the Gurkhas in India was engaged in the bushes one night with a young lady when a Gurkha Regiment marched past them. The young man made the decision to stand up and salute them anyway in the raw. They said they liked to think he made General someday.

In Burma, the Brass visited a Gurkha regiment asking for volunteers for an airborne unit, men who would jump out of planes to fight. This was briefly explained to the Gurkhas and half of them stepped forward to volunteer. The General was miffed, commenting I thought given their reputation more would volunteer. The Gurkha officers struggling to maintain composure replied, Sir they don't know what parachutes are.

A Gurkha patrol, near El Alamain returned from a patrol into German lines claiming 38 enemy kills. The intelligence officer debriefing them chastised them for embellishing body counts, at dawn they returned throwing a sack full of bloody ears on to his desk. The Gurkhas were said to creep into foxholes in the dark with one hand on the kukri and the other feeling for the ridge on German helmets, if they felt the ridge they took the head, this tended to demoralize the Africa Corps.

An Italian POW was quoted as saying, " a pack of little grinning men coming at you with knives is scarier than big men."

An Indian doctor treating a gravely wounded Gurkha told his officer, he will not make it unless he has the will to live. The British officer went to the bedside and ordered the Gurkha to live. He did.

Hope this helps.

greenberetTFS · 02-03-2011, 12:37

Dusty,

Reminds me of a story a guy I met at the VA,he told me about a Sgt. who was placed in charge of a group of them,It was in Korea............. Anyway,during the heat of the battle the Sgt. thought that they were going to be over run by the Chinese and gave a command to retreat.......... They misunderstood,quickly fixed their bayonets and started to attack... The Chinese were caught totally off guard and ended up retreating themselves........ They wanted to give that Sgt. a medal(not sure which one) however he refused it and gave them the true account of the story..........

Big Teddy